Sayings of Adarbad Mahraspandan

Adarbad Mahraspandan was a famous saint, High priest, and prime minister
of Shapur II (309-379 A.C.)

Translation from R. C. Zaehner, The Teachings of the Magi,
London, 1956, p. 110 ff.
Comments in [] by JHP. Spelling has been
normalized to conform
with other texts in this series. I have also used
'yazads' in place of Zaehner's 'gods'
which I think is very misleading. -JHP.

SOME SAYINGS OF ADHURBADH, SON OF MAHRASPAND

(1) These are some of the sayings of Adhurbadh, son of Mahraspand,
spoken by him on his death-bed to the people. He taught them (on
these lines): "Remember (what I say now) most particularly
(pat dakhshak) and act accordingly. Do not hoard against
the day when you may be in need, for what you hoard . . .1 except to
. . . want does not come sparingly. (2) Strive to hoard up only
righteousness (ahrâyîh), (that is) virtuous deeds,
for of (all) the things that one may hoard, only righteousness is good.

(3) Do not harbour vengeance in your thoughts lest
your enemies catch up with you. (4) Consider rather what injury,
harm, and destruction you are liable to suffer by smiting your
enemy in vengeance and how you will (perpetually) brood over
vengeance in your heart (varom). Do not smite your enemy in
vengeance, for it is plain enough that whoever puts vengeance
even for a trifling thing out of his mind, will be spared the
greatest terrors at the Bridge of the Requiter.

(5) Whether you are defendant or plaintiff (at a court
of law) tell the truth so that you may be the more certain
of acquittal at the trial. (6) For it is clear that by giving
true witness a man will be saved, and damned will be the man
who perjures himself.2

(7) Show moderation in your eating (and drinking) so
that you may live long; (8) for moderation in eating
(and drinking) is good for the body as moderation in
speech is good for the soul. (9) Though a man be very
poor in the goods of this world, he is (nevertheless)
rich if there is moderation in his character. (10) Pay more attention
to your soul than to your belly, for the man who fills his belly
usually brings disorder on his spirit.

(11) Take a wife from among your kin so that your lineage may
be more protracted; (12) for most of the disorder and vengeful
spirit and loss from which the creatures of Ohrmazd have suffered
has been caused by the giving of one's daughters <to the sons
of strangers> and the asking of the daughters of strangers
in marriage for one's sons.3 So does a family die out.

(13) Abstain rigorously from eating the flesh of kine
and all domestic animals (gôspandân) lest you be made
to face a strict reckoning in this world and the next;
(14) for by eating the flesh of kine and other domestic anunals,
you involve your hand in sin, and (thereby)4 think, speak, and do
what is sinful; (15) for though you eat but a mouthful(?), you involve
your hand in sin, and though a camel be slain by (another) man in
another place it is as if you <who eat its flesh> had slain
it with your own hand.

(16) Make the traveller welcome so that you yourself
may receive a heartier welcome in this world and the
next; (17) for he who gives, receives, and (receives) more
abundantly. Seat yourself at a banquet where (your
host) bids you be seated, for the best place is where a
good man sits.

(18) Do not strive for (high) office, for the man who
strives for (high) office usually brings disorder on
his spirit.

(19) Live in harmony with virtue and do not consent
to sin. Be thankful for good fortune and contented in
adversity. Avoid an enemy; do not cause harm in doing
good works; do not aid and abet evil.

(20) Even should the most fearful calamity befall you,
do not doubt concerning the yazads and the Religion.

(21) Do not be unduly glad when good fortune attends
you, (22) and do not be unduly downcast when misfortune
befalls you.

(23) Be contented in adversity, patient in disaster. Do
not put your trust in life, but put your trust in good
works; (24) for the good man's good works are his advocate
and an evil man's <works> are his accuser, (25) and
of thoughts, words, and deeds, deeds are the most perfect.

(26) For there is no misfortune which5 has befallen me,
Adhurbadh, son of Mahraspand, from which I have <not>
derived six kinds of comfort. (27) First, when a misfortune
<befell me>, I was thankful that it was no worse.
(28) Secondly, when a misfortune fell not upon my soul but
upon my body, (I was thankful), for it seemed better that
it should befall the body rather than the soul. (29) Thirdly,
(I was thankful) that of all the misfortunes that are due to
me6 one (at least) had passed.
(30) Fourthly I was thankful that I was so good a man that
the accursed and damnable Ahriman and the demons should
bring misfortune on my body on account of my goodness.
(31) Fifthly (I was thankful) that since
whoever commits an evil deed, will be made to suffer for
it either in his own person or in his children, it was I
myself who paid the price, not my children. (32) Sixthly,
I was thankful that since all the harm that the accursed
Ahriman and his demons can do to the creatures of Ohrmazd
is limited, any misfortune that befalls me is a loss to
Ahriman's treasury, and he cannot inflict it a second time
on some other good man.

(33) Abstain rigorously from churlishness, self-will,
enmity to the good, anger, rapine, calumny, and lying
so that your body be not ill-famed and your soul damned.

(34) Do not plot evil against the evil, for the evil man
reaps <the fruit of> his own bad actions. (35) In order to
bear with(?) evil men keep the power of goodness in mind and make
it your model. (36) Has there ever been a man who associated with
evil men who did not regret it in the end?

(37) Do good simply because it is good. Goodness is a
real good (nêvak) since even evil men extol it. (38) Do
whatever you know to be good and do not do anything that you know
to be not good. (39) Do not do to others anything that does not seem
good to yourself.

(40) Do not underestimate the value of confessing
your sins of omission (? mandak) to the religious judges,
of submitting to the disciplinary whip, and of performing the ... (?) ...

(41) You have (only) one name, you are men. Do not pay attention
to both the desires (of the body and the soul); (42) for the body
and the soul do not both have the same desire. (43) The bodily
desires of the body should be satisfied and the soul-desires
of the soul.

(44) Never commit a sin out of vengeance, but always
strive your utmost to do good works. (45) Do not forsake
the righteous law out of lust. (46) Do not violently strike
innocent people because you are angry with someone.
(47) Do not be false to a contract out of vengeance lest
you be caught up in (the consequences of) your own actions.

(48) Put not your trust in women lest you have cause
to be ashamed and to repent. (49) Do not tell your secrets
to women lest (all) your toiling be fruitless.

(50) Do not take orders from the crafty lest you meet with
ruin. (51) For these four things are most useful to men,7
wisdom (combined with) courage, vision (combined with) knowledge,
wealth (combined with) generosity, and good words (combined with)
good deeds. (52) For courage divorced from wisdom is (very) death
in a man's body; (53) vision divorced from knowledge is (like)
a pictured image of a body; (54) wealth divorced from generosity
is like a treasure of Ahriman; (55) good words divorced from good
deeds are manifest unbelief (ahramôghîh).

(56) The signs of the unbeliever are six; he has the
outward appearance of good character, but does the works8
that beseem a bad character; he performs the liturgy correctly(?),
but does evil; he "talks big" to others, but is himself
stingy though seeming generous; he is a giver of evil gifts and
patient of abuse; his thoughts, words, and deeds do not agree.

(57) Do not say anything that is not specifically of
profit except as a joke (huramîh), and when joking
consider the time and the occasion. (58) For wisdom guards the
tongue, the body's fruit is civilized behaviour (frahang),
and the reward of virtue is Heaven and the receiving and giving
of the fruits of the earth; (59) for all forms of courage need
wisdom, wisdom knowledge, knowledge experience. To be respected
one must have a good name. All actions depend on the proper time and
place, while wealth needs to be received and given away,
and all enjoyment depends on freedom from fear.

(60) Do not rejoice overmuch when good fortune
attends you, and do not grieve overmuch when misfortune
overtakes you, (61) for both good fortune and misfortune
must befall man. (62) Be grateful to the yazads for any good
fortune that may befall you in this world and share it with
the yazads and with good men. Leave (all such things) to the
yazads, for any reward (that is due to you) will come of its
own accord from the place whence it must proceed.

(63) Till the earth and do good, for all men live and are
nourished by the tilling of Spandarmad, the Earth.

(64) Do not sin against water, fire, kine, or other domestic
animals, or against the dog and the dog species, lest you
find the way to Heaven and Paradise (garothman) closed to you.

(65) Do good and keep your doors open to any who may come from far
or near, for he who does not do good and does not keep his doors
open, will find the door of Heaven and of Paradise closed.

(66) Be zealous in the pursuit of culture (frahang), for
culture is an adornment in prosperity, a protection in distress,
a ready helper in calamity, and becomes a habit in adversity.
(67) When you have learnt something, put it into practice, for
the man who knows a lot and believes little is the greater sinner.
(68) The wisdom of a learned man, if unaccompanied by goodness,
turns to injustice (sâstârîh) and his intelligence
turns to unbelief (ahramôghîh).

(69) Do not mock at anyone at all, for he who mocks
himself becomes the object of mockery, he loses his dignity
(khwarr) and is execrated, and only rarely will he have
a decent and warlike son.

(70) Go every day to wherever good men gather
together to consult them; (71) for whoever goes most frequently
to where good men gather together for the purpose of consultation,
receives a greater share of and holiness.

(72) Go to the Fire-Temple three times a day and recite the
liturgy to the fire, (73) for whoever goes most
frequently to the Fire-Temple and recites the liturgy to the fire,
receives a greater portion of worldly goods and of holiness

(74) Keep your body rigorously aloof from the sin9 of the Lie (sodomy?),
from a woman in her menses, and from a harlot in milk so that your soul may
not be involved in the hurt such evil does to the body.

(75) Do not leave any sin for which penance is
demanded (unconfessed) even for a moment so that the
pure Religion of the worshippers of Ohrmazd may not
be your enemy.

(76) The body is mortal, but the soul does not pass
away.10 Do good, for the soul (really) is, not the
body; spirit (really) is, not matter. (77) Out of respect
for the body do not neglect your soul; and do not, out of
respect for anyone, forget that the things of this world
are transitory. Desire nothing that will bring Penance
on your body and punishment on your soul.

(78) Do not, out of affection for anyone, neglect the
respect due to your soul so that you may not have to
suffer a grievous punishment against your will".